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Kinkaku-ji Golden Pavilion, Kyoto
Shrine gates, Fushimi, Kyoto
Ikebana teacher
Traditional crafts
& pastimes
Japan is rightly famed for the delicacy
and refinement of its traditional crafts
and pastimes, such as ikebana flower
arranging, origami, bonsai and the tea
ceremony. The Women’s Association
of Kyoto has established a range of
short introductions to various aspects
of Japanese culture, craft and cookery
that allow you to visit a real Japanese
home and try your hand at traditional
skills. Courses are run by local women
keen to share their hobbies and skills
with visitors, and offer you the chance
to enrich your time in Japan by
interacting with local people on an
individual level.
Todai-ji Temple, Nara
Mount Koya
Guardian statue at Todai-ji Temple, Nara
Nara
A short train ride from Kyoto is historic Nara, an
earlier capital. While Kyoto’s continuing eminence
over the centuries has led to its development into
a large, bustling city, the significance of Nara soon
waned once the capital was relocated, and today
it is a relaxed town with some beautiful sights.
Nara residents are justifiably proud of the Todai-ji
Temple, which houses Japan’s largest bronze
Buddha, as well as the tranquil expanses of the
surrounding deer park where the sacred deer are
so little afraid of humans that they will eat food
out of your hand. Nara can easily be visited as a
day trip from Kyoto or as an overnight stay for
those with more time.
High in the forested mountains of the Kii
Peninsula, south of Osaka, lies the monastic
complex of Mount Koya, the home of the esoteric
Shingon Buddhist sect. Recently designated a
UNESCO World Heritage Site, the town contains
more than a hundred different temples, many of
which offer lodging for pilgrims and visitors,
allowing you to join the monks in their daily
routines, share their delicious vegetarian cuisine,
and experience a very different aspect of Japanese
society. Take a stroll at dusk along the winding,
lantern-lit paths through the Okuno-in cemetery
for a uniquely atmospheric experience. Other
temples across Japan offer similar opportunities
to stay and join in the monastic life; please
speak to our specialists for more information.
Konpon Daito Temple, Mount Koya
Monk, Mount Koya
TENTOKU-IN SHUKUBO,
MOUNT KOYA
Known as ‘shukubo’, the accommodation here
was originally designed for the Buddhist monks
and pilgrims who visited the temple for training
or worship, but is now open to members of the
public. The food served here is shojin, which is
vegetarian in accordance with Buddhist practices.
Rooms are quite small and basic, but quaintly
Japanese in style with tatami flooring and sliding
rice paper doors. Your futon bed is made up in
the evening and some guest rooms have views
over the superb Japanese garden, accredited to
master garden designer Kobori Enshu, at the
centre of the temple.
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